Sammy’s Sportsbook Whispers: Is There A QB Controversy In Eugene?

Dating back to August, there’s not a college football team in the country that has improved more than the Florida Gators in the eyes of Las Vegas. Former Vegas bookmaker Ed Salmons told us in last week’s “Whispers” that he had already increased the Gators’ power rating by more than a touchdown. Then Florida destroyed Ole Miss 52-28. “I have Florida and Alabama rated the same right now,” Salmons told me this week. “You stay aggressive with the Florida number because the perception is so high. “I would have Georgia -5 against Florida for a neutral-site game played tomorrow. It would’ve been close to -14 in the summer.” This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. The issue now is that the Gators have finally captured the public’s attention. Florida is as high as -5.5 this Saturday at Mizzou. That game would’ve been close to a pick ‘em two weeks ago. “Oh, it’s Mizzou or pass,” Salmons said. Elsewhere, Lincoln Riley lost another massive game at USC, as Oregon went into Southern California and emerged with a 41-27 victory. Did we learn more about the Ducks or Trojans? “I think we learned a lot about Oregon’s resilience,” Caesars Sportsbook head of football Joey Feazel told me. “Despite losing their starting quarterback, they still had the depth and toughness to win comfortably and cover the number. While the loss to Oklahoma State was a setback, Oregon showed they remain a dangerous team with the talent to stay in the College Football Playoff conversation if they continue to perform at this level.” Professional bettor Slice thinks backup quarterback Dylan Raiola is actually better than starting quarterback Dante Moore. “Let’s not forget, Raiola was a much better recruit coming out of high school,” Slice said. “Dante Moore’s PR team is just outstanding. I don’t know how he was considered a top-two pick in last year’s NFL Draft. “He stunk at UCLA, and now he’s a top quarterback at Oregon? Stop. “It speaks to the skill and speed inside the Oregon system. Quarterbacks that make quick decisions will always thrive there.” Salmons is on a hell of a run in this column, giving us Ohio State +2 at Texas, Houston +8 against Texas Tech, and Florida -3.5 over Ole Miss the last three weeks. Anything this weekend? “Arizona -7 looks cheap,” he opined. “I make it closer to -10. All Cincinnati does is run the ball. I’m not sure they’re ready to play from behind. Be ready for the Tucson heat, too.” To the NFL, the Buffalo Bills, Las Vegas Raiders and Minnesota Vikings are all 3-0 ATS this season. Green Bay, Houston, Miami, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay are 0-3. And don’t look now, but all four teams inside the AFC North have the same record at 2-1. I didn’t see that one coming. “The Browns have been the NFL team that has impressed me the most so far this season,” Feazel admitted. “Expectations were extremely low entering the year, especially with concerns surrounding an inept offense. However, Todd Monken has done an outstanding job transforming that unit and making this team competitive thus far. “While I still don’t view Cleveland as a playoff contender come January, they have shown far more life, confidence and upside than expected, with plenty of encouraging signs emerging through the opening weeks.”